Most people when asked to name a famous English racecourse would say Ascot and not just in the UK either as the Berkshire venue is world renowned for its quality horse racing and royal connection.

Ayr is widely regarded as Scotland's premier racing venue and the Gold Cup Festival, which is staged here every September, is the undoubted highlight of the country's flat racing calendar with some excellent prize money on of

There have been races around Ballinrobe going way back to the 18th century. The course is a beauty too, a raised oval, enclosed by a ring of undulating peaks and views to Lough Carra. Ballinrobe is big with holidaymakers in t

At an elevation of 238 metres Bath Racecourse in the County of Somerset is the highest flat venue in the country. It’s a left-handed track that has been in business for more than 200 years. Also worth keeping in mind is that

Locations don’t get more scenic than Bellewstown, elevated on a hill and framed by the Mountains of Mourne, while the Irish Sea is visible to the east. The course shines in the summer, and races have been held here in August

In the Westwood, an open space of pasture and woodland just west of Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Beverley Racecourse has witnessed flat racing since the mid-18th century. The season here runs from April to Septem

With a horseshoe format, Brighton is one of only a handful of British racecourses that doesn’t form a joined-up circuit. The course is just a mile north of Brighton in the undulating scenery of the South Downs, and incorporat

Being England's most northerly city and lying close to the Scottish border, Carlisle has seen it's fair share of military action down the centuries and the racing action is often fiercely competitive too.

Racing at Catterick Bridge, to give the course its full name, as been going on since the late 18th century and it's popularity amongst the locals ensured it became a regular fixture as early as 1813.

Chelmsford City, formerly Great Leighs, staged its first meeting on January 11 2015 and is set to become a regular feature for British punters, having secured 58 fixtures for the calendar year

Cheltenham is the undoubted home of National Hunt (jumps) racing in Britain & Ireland and its showpiece event is the Cheltenham Festival, held over four days in March. Outside the Festival, 'The Showcase' meeting in October a

Chepstow is better known as a jumps venue but it's busy during the summer too with flat racing taking place from May through to September. The main flat circuit is a flattened oval measuring nearly two miles in circumference.

No racecourse in England is older than Chester, which has history going back to 1539. There are 15 meetings in the summer season at Chester, which is also the shortest course in the country, at just one mile. The course is tu

There’s both flat and National Hunt racing at Clonmel, but the cooler seasons are when the course is full of activity, hosting some of Ireland’s major jump events. Top of the list is November’s Clonmel Oil Chase, which has be

A few minutes outside the town of Mallow, Cork Racecourse puts on both prestigious Flat and National Hunt races all year round, and is one of the three straight six furlong courses in Ireland. The season culminates with the E

Near the M7, which links Dublin with Cork, the Curragh Racecourse is one of Ireland’s oldest venues and is famed for its flat racing pedigree. Every one of the five Irish Classic races is run at Curragh, as is the second day

They've been racing on Doncaster Town Moor since 1776 when, to coincide with the opening, the first running of the St Leger Stakes took place, making it the oldest of the five English Classics. The redevelopment included s

Near Belfast and no more than a few miles from the A1 that links Belfast to Dublin, Down Royal is a modern course with events all year round for both jump and flat racing. The one to mark on the calendar is late-October’s Fes

Downpatrick has a long racing pedigree going back to 1685, and races have been held at the precise spot of the present course for the last 200 years. Rain or shine Downpatrick draws large crowds and is seen as one of the most

Minutes from the M1, Dundalk offers both horse and greyhound racing, and underwent a large overhaul a decade ago. This made it the first racecourse in Ireland with floodlights, as well as the first to be able to host meeting

Racing on Epsom Downs dates back to the time of Charles II but it took a further century before the great race it is associated with was conceived.

Within easy reach of central Dublin, the prestigious Fairyhouse Racecourse hosts one of the main events on Ireland’s sporting calendar: All eyes are on the Irish Grand National on Easter Monday. There are meetings and festiva

Flemington Racecourse is undoubtedly Australia's premier racing venue and is located just 8kms from Melbourne City. Its positioning on alluvial flats close to Footscray Park on the south bank of the Maribyrnong River, help to

Kent is known as the 'Garden of England' and its only racecourse, Folkestone, is certainly set in very pleasant surroundings, situated as it is on the eastern edge of the South Downs overlooking the English channel.

A short hop from Galway’s city centre, Galway Racecourse welcomes the biggest crowd for any course in the country during the Galway Festival in late-August. Ladies’ Day on the Thursday is the big one, getting gates of up to 3

Set high on the Sussex Downs Goodwood is undoubtedly one of the world's most beautiful racecourses and the famous five-day festival held here at the end of July, known as 'Glorious Goodwood', is unquestionably the flat season

In the middle of beautiful County Kilkenny, which itself is known for horse-rearing, Gowran Park is loved for its wonderful scenery. There’s something going on at all times of the year at the course, whether on the flat or ov

Hamilton is the playground of Glaswegians, who flock here for the summer evening meetings in particular and as a result there is a real buzz about the place. Racing in the area can be traced back to 1782 but the modern day si

Haydock is easily the premier venue for flat racing in the North West and the standard of racing is high. For around 200 years, racing took place on Newton Common, near the town of Newton le Willows, but the locals demanded a

Situated just 16 miles from the centre of London, Kempton Racecourse is one of Britain’s most popular racecourses with the traditional King Georges Chase the 26th December as the absolute jewel. Kempton is a right-handed

Kilbeggan is a tricky, tight right-turning track with hardly a straight in sight, and is easily one of Ireland's favourite courses for spectators. A great deal of racing at Kilbeggan takes place in the evening time, which onl

The highly picturesque Killarney Racecourse has the hills of the Killarney National Park as a backdrop. All the races at the course are held in the summer months, and visitors usually come in the evenings as the perfect end t

Laytown holds only one day of racing a year, in September, and is like no other course in Ireland. Races are on a beach at low tide, and Laytown is the only beach racing event governed by the official Rules of Racing. On this

Leicester is one of the most modern racecourses in the country. In the Autumn Leicester really comes into its own with the running of several high-class maiden races; some of the best horses to grace the flat have started out

Whether on the flat, or over hurdles or fences, Leopardstown holds many of Ireland’s most prestigious races throughout the year. The course couldn’t be better situated, right on the outskirts of Dublin. There’s a catalogue of

A relatively new addition to Ireland’s collection of racecourses, Limerick hosts both National Hunt races and on the flat and was built in 2001. The richest and most prestigious of the latter is the Group 3 Martin Molony Stak

Racing on the Lingfield Park Estate dates back to the late nineteenth century but race-goers then would not recognise the place today. Originally a jumps course, the first flat meeting took place in 1894 and has continued sin

September at the 19th-century Listowel Racecourse in County Kerry means the Harvest Festival, one of the biggest weeks in Ireland’s racing season. People come from all over Ireland and abroad for races like Wednesday’s Kerry

Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse in Meydan City features a record-breaking grandstand. Seating 60,000 it’s the longestest single man-made structure in the world, and was unveiled in 2010. There are two courses at Meydan, an 8.75-fur

Race meetings in the area were originally staged on the sands at Leith but large crowds necessitated a move to the current site in 1816, thus making Scotland's oldest racecourse.

At Naas there’s both Flat and National Hunt in all seasons. Put January in your diary, as this is when the Naas Novice Hurdle runs, which has Grade 1 status and pulls in the biggest names. There are also key trial races in th

Set on the fringes of the town, Navan holds plenty of flat racing in the warmer months, but its reputation is built on its jump meetings, so it comes into its own between October and March. At this time of year the national h

Newcastle is steeped in history with racing in the area dating from as early as the 16th century, although it didn't get its first proper home until 1833, when Newcastle Town Moor was chosen as the venue for the Northumberlan

Considered by the majority of racing folk to be the headquarters of thoroughbred racing in the UK, Newmarket has a long and rich history. It was James I that first instigated racing here and the work was carried on by his des

Once a dual purpose track, Nottingham now solely stages flat racing and has been the starting point for many a good horse down the years. A visit to the nearby greyhound track after racing is highly recommended - providing yo

Britain’s northernmost track, Perth has been hosting racing since the 17th century, while the racecourse has been in action since 1908. The track is in a picturesque spot by the River Tay, and unlike many National Hunt course

Horse racing in the area can be traced back to the English Civil War but the current site is far more modern having opened its doors in 1801.

Punchestown hardly needs introduction, thanks to its position as the main National Hunt venue in Ireland, which puts it firmly on the world racing map. The season is from autumn to early-summer, because Punchestown is jumps-o

Redcar is Yorkshire's 'Seaside Racecourse' being within walking distance of a long and sandy beach, which is often used by local trainers in wintertime to keep their horses on the go.

Ripon is one of the more pleasant racecourses to visit set as it is in the beautiful countryside of the Yorkshire Dales and it's known known as the 'Garden Racecourse' for good reason.

There’s both jump and flat racing at this much-loved venue, found a stone’s throw from Roscommon town in western Ireland. The season spans the summer, and both Roscommon locals and holidaymakers flock to the evening races. On

Most people when asked to name a famous English racecourse would say Ascot and not just in the UK either as the Berkshire venue is world renowned for its quality horse racing and royal connection.

Set in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside, Salisbury is a flat racing only venue, staging 15 meetings between early May and mid-October.

Sandown is one of the UK's premier racing venues and is renowned for exciting finishes (aided by the stiff uphill finish) and spectacular viewing, not only of the racing but across the capital - the track is just a half hour

This course has the advantage of being close to the centre of Sligo town, but is also blessed with awesome natural scenery. Like the best country courses, Sligo comes to life on summer evenings when there are meetings with bo

Southwell is an all-weather track that rides completely different due to it’s Fibresand surface. As you'd expect it has produced more than its fair share of course specialists, with some horses not capable of winning anywhere

Racing has been taking place in the this beautiful part of Yorkshire since the 17th century and, indeed, there are records to show that King James I donated a gold cup as the prize for the 'Royal Plate' of 1612.

One of Ireland’s courses that only holds National Hunt races, Thurles has events throughout the year, particularly in the middle of winter and it’s almost unheard of for a race to be cancelled for poor weather here. January a

Tipperary’s Super Sunday on the first Sunday of October is unique in Ireland as being the only meeting to put on jump and flat races on the same card. This is the biggest day of the year at Tipperary, but there’s a lovely sum

The vistas at Tramore are a big part of the appeal. The course is on a rise above the town and looks out over the coast. Summer is when Tramore is in its element, and the stands are packed for the summer festival in August, w

Visitors to Warwick get a real sense of history as the course is located close to the ramparts of Warwick Castle, which was built by William The Conqueror in 1068 and served as the symbol of power for the Earl of Warwick.

The season at Wexford on Ireland’s southeast coast lasts from spring to early-winter, but the crowds really show up for the evening races in June, July and August. There’s both National Hunt and Flat racing at Wexford, and th

Windsor's eccentric figure-of-eight track lies alongside the River Thames and can be reached by an enjoyable boat trip from the town centre.

The first of the all-weather tracks to be floodlit and many meetings now take place under the lights with especially Saturday evening meetings popular. The Wolverhampton track is an oval measuring around 1m in circumference a

Set a mile north of this Norfolk seaside town, Great Yarmouth Racecourse was founded more than 200 years ago. There are 18 events at this left-handed course from June to October. A roll-call of famous horses have debuted at G

Few would argue that York is the north's premier flat racing venue and the standard of racing is always high.